Chapter 5
Maria pov
As Maria told Steve the first place she went after she left the tower was to go shopping for Natasha and she had texted Steve for Natasha’s size in clothing and shoes, she had gotten Natasha month’s worth of clothes and shoes, toys, and a bed. By the time she was done she had 2 hours before her date with Ryan they had been seeing each other for 2 months and Maria was contemplating on telling him about Natasha and she decided not to. She had told Ryan that there were some parts of her life that she couldn’t share and he understood that.
Maria had curled her hair, put on a black dress and red pumps, and applied bright red lipstick, Ryan was picking her up in 30 minutes, and with time to spare she decided to call Steve to see how Natasha had been and she wanted to call and say goodnight.
“Hello, Maria.”
“Hey, Steve I just wanted to check in to see how Natasha’s doing and say goodnight.”
“She’s fine she let Bruce take her blood work and this is our Natasha, she has no injuries and she seems to like everyone but Clint who has now turned into her least favorite Uncle,” Steve said and Maria could hear screeching and laughter in the background.
“I’m guessing she’s having a blast.” Maria found that she couldn’t keep the smile off her face as she heard the giggles through the phone, Natasha was happy and that made her happy.
“Yep, she getting chased by Tony,” Steve said and Maria heard him laugh airly.
“I just want to tell her goodnight. Can put her on the phone please?”
“Yeah sure hold on. Natasha mommy’s on the phone!!!” She heard Steve yell and an excited ‘Mommy!!’ through the other side of the phone and she heard shuffling sound indicating the phone was being passed.
“Mommy!! I miss you.” Natasha said
“I miss you too baby, but daddy tells me you’ve been having fun with Uncle Tony.”
“Uncle Tony’s the best!” Maria was amused Natasha really did like Tony over Clint who would’ve thought, Natasha and Tony could be in the same room and Natasha not attempting to kill Tony.
“I’m sure he is sweetie.”
“Mommy,”
“Yeah, Tasha.”
“Daddy said you guys no longer live together but he says he loves you a lot. Do you also love Daddy?”
The question left Maria frozen, of course, she cared about Steve. He was a colleague, a friend and she saw him as family and she knew Steve cared about her. But she didn’t know Steve loved her, maybe Natasha had misheard Steve and interrupted his words wrong.
“Mommy? Mommy? Are you still there?” Natasha concerned voice brought her back to reality
“Yeah, baby I’m still here. Listen I called to say goodnight, okay be good for daddy.”
“Yes, mommy. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, baby.”
“Bye-bye.” Maria couldn’t help herself when she laughed. Natasha was so adorable and innocent words that could never describe the deadly Black Widow.
“Bye-bye baby, tell daddy I said bye.”
“Okay.”
“Okay, baby, I gotta go.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Maria hung up she found herself smiling, she never saw herself as the kid type she always avoids kids as if they were a plague but now playing the motherly role Natasha needs at the moment she can’t help but let her heart melt, Natasha is the most adorable, precipice thing that came into her life and she really didn’t want to let her go, she knew it was wrong of her but she hoped they took a little longer to find the cure to her condition.
Steve pov
Steve day had been eventful, Natasha and Clint were arguing mainly because Clint kept trying to steal her food, then he had argued with Natasha about taking a bath but after a stern talking from Pepper she had reluctantly agreed, then it came time for Bruce to give her a check-up which resulted in tears and a very confused and apologetic Bruce who had given Natasha a lollipop to calm her nerves which worked but then made her hyperactive and she and Tony started chasing each other and then Maria called.
There was nothing wrong with Maria calling it was just he hadn’t told the others that Maria was ‘Natash’s’ mother so they were all confused when she called and then Natasha asked Maria if she loved him and he felt his cheeks grow red even as a child Natasha knew just how to embarrass and make him blush. Steve really hoped Maria wouldn’t take what Natasha said negatively and he really hopes it won’t make things awkward between them.
“Daddy are you okay? You look like a tomato?” Natasha said, pointing out how red he looked as she passed him back his phone.
“I’m fine princess, just a little hot.”
“You’re not sick?” Natasha said tilting her head to the side the same way she did when she was older analyzing Steve.
“No princess I’m not sick. What did mommy say?” Steve said changing the subject
“She said to be good, and goodnight, she said to tell you she said bye.”
“That reminds me it’s bedtime,” Steve said picking up Natasha before she could runoff
“But daddy I’m not tired,” Natasha complained Steve found that she did that a lot
“You’ve been up 10 minutes past bedtime.”
Steve got Natasha to bed and mid-way to reading Red Riding Hood she had already fallen asleep, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving the room the only light from the nightlight Pepper had thought to bring. Exhausted but also proud that he had gone through a full day of taking care of Natasha, Steve made his way back to the common room with a big grin on his face which didn’t go unnoticed by Tony.
“If it isn’t the proud father,” Tony commented, making Steve roll his eyes as he sat on the armchair.
“So, who the hell did Natasha think was her mother,” Clint asked
“Maria,” Steve said as he turned his attention to the show that was playing. He thinks it’s the office he doesn’t know.
“Maria. As in Maria Hill.” Tony said as Steve nodded
“This is something, the Ice Queen as a mother will be a show to watch,” Clint said, Steve didn’t really see what the problem was with Maria being Natasha ‘temporary mother’ there was nothing wrong with her she was good with Natasha today and she was going to be good with Natasha in the future.
“Maria did really well with Natasha today, she’s going to be just fine with Natasha in the future,” Steve said, feeling like he had to defend Maria since she wasn’t here to do it herself.
“Oh look who’s sticking up for his baby mama.” Tony teased making Clint laugh
“You know that not what she is Tony.” Steve really wished Pepper was here but she seemed to have left and if she were here she would keep Tony in check.
“Calm down Capsicle, but if she’s going to be around Natasha she has to properly meet us,” Tony said he didn’t really know Maria not really and he was going to be damned if he let Natasha go with her, he didn’t trust shield and Maria was part of shield so he didn’t trust her.
“Fine, whatever I’ll ask her to stay for dinner so you can properly meet her,” Steve said as he got up he was torrid and didn’t want to deal with Stark right now or ever.
Maria pov
As planned Ryan picked her up took her to the very secretive restaurant that he wouldn’t tell her anything about and like all the previous dates he made her laugh but she found her mind wandering back to Steve and Natasha and how she would like to be there to put Natasha to sleep and to talk to Steve get to know him better maybe make a friend out of him.
“Hey, Maria you with me?” Ryan said getting Maria out of her train of thought
“Yeah, I just zoned out, sorry.” Maria apologized, taking a sip of her wine that was just right and rich.
“My family wants to meet you. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Ryan said and she knew this was coming but she’s never been in a relationship this long and she really liked Ryan and wants to make it work between them.
“No, it’s okay I want to meet your family,” Maria said. Ryan had become a part of her life and she always looked forward to his texts and seeing him next.
“Really they also want to meet your family so we can get to know each other and so I can meet them,” Ryan said excitedly that Maria had agreed. But Maria didn’t have any family; her father was dead, so was her mother and she considered Fury family but she wasn’t going to tell him about her love life or Coulson maybe Sharon and she was deciding whether she should tell him about Natasha.
“I don’t really have anyone to bring,” Maria said she wasn’t ready to tell him about Natasha and she didn’t even know how long she would be playing the part of the mother so she wouldn’t tell him just yet.
“I’m sorry,” Ryan said as he squeezed her hand
“Don’t be, I'm fine and I would love to meet your family. They are a part of you and I want to know you.”
That date went like any other date ending on a good end and it also ended with Maria sleeping in Ryan’s apartment it wasn’t the first time she had slept over so she had kept some things in his apartment just some clothes they weren’t ready for moving in together not yet she wanted to know him more before that happened if it happens.